Risotto Alla Milanese (Risotto with Saffron)

- Serves 4

My little one fussed over everything until she discovered pasta and this was not until she turned 2. Her love for Italy and all things Italian made me delve further into Italian cuisine many years ago. I still remember taking my first Italian cooking class with her under the guidance of the beautiful Italian chef Daniela Ingrosso, where she taught us how to make her delicious saffron risotto. We never replicated the dish at home and for good reason. Let’s be honest - risotto tastes so much better when someone else puts a piping hot bowl of this creamy deliciousness in front of you 😉. Thank you @forkinthejungle for the inspiration; I did finally make it at home after all these years. It was pretty darn good, but I stick to my words , “just not as good as when someone else makes it for you”.

P.S. My Italian friends, please don’t crucify me for using garlic and ginger in this recipe and direct any hate comments to @forkinthejungle . JK😉 - the Asian in me loves adding Bentong ginger to everything.

Ingredients for Risotto Alla Milanese (Risotto with Saffron)

1.5 liters quality organic stock , such as chicken, fish, vegetable, beef
large pinch of saffron
2-3 tablespoons Papa’s Grove or good quality olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely minced ginger, optional
400g quality risotto rice (long grain aged Carnaroli rice works best)
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup cups dry white wine (depending on how acidic you’d like your risotto)
90g Parmesan cheese
25g unsalted butter
handful parsley, finely chopped

Risotto Alla Milanese Recipe Video

Recipe

Start by heating the stock and set aside. Place saffron strands in a small bowl and pour 2-3 tablespoons hot stock over it - set aside unti ready to use. Peel and finely chop the onion, garlic, and ginger - set aside. Finely grate the Parmesan - refrigerate until ready to use. Forget the Asian in you for an hour and strictly DO NOT wash your risotto rice as washing will strip away the starches you need to make a creamy risotto.
In a heavy-base pan, heat olive oil over low-medium heat. Add onions, optional garlic and ginger, and fry gently for about 2-3 minutes, until onion is translucent.
Add the rice – the rice will now begin to lightly fry. Keep stirring it for a few minutes until it picks up a very light golden hue; this will ensure a nice bite to your rice grains later.
Add wine, keep stirring, and let the alcohol evaporate. You can use good drinking wine as many a great chefs suggest or use one you’d rather wash your hands with. The quantity of wine also varies from 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup, depending on how acidic you like your risotto.
Once the wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle-full of hot stock, then turn the heat down to a simmer and give the hot liquid a chance to slowly plump up the grains rather than quickly drying out.
Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring every 30 seconds or so, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. Continue to do so until your arm is ready to fall off and the rice is soft but still has a slight bite to it (around 15 minutes). You may or may not end up using all of the stock. Finally, add saffron and chopped parsley - stir.
Mantecatura: Take the pan off the heat, rest for exactly 3 minutes before adding another 25g of butter for that luscious feel and grated Parmesan for umami of course, then stir well and serve immediately!